


Blazing Sun, Blue Hour

by WrittenUnderTheBridge



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bucky is a sweetheart, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), although everyone is friends again, this is soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-07
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2020-02-27 18:25:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18744598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WrittenUnderTheBridge/pseuds/WrittenUnderTheBridge
Summary: As part of your endeavor to help Bucky adjust to the world, you take him out to do fun things every weekend. This time, Bucky has a surprise planned for you.





	Blazing Sun, Blue Hour

Ever since you’d helped Steve track down Bucky, you’d been trying to help him regain some sense of normalcy in his life. He’d been a slave to HYDRA, killing for them and having his mind wiped when there was even a hint of non-compliance. Then he’d been on the run, living in buildings that should have been condemned long ago, getting by with what little he could piece together. More than anything, you wanted him to know that he didn’t have to run anymore. He could stop, breathe, rest. He could live.

You’d taken to spending most of your time with him, whether during training or curled up on opposite sides of the sofa watching movies in a companionable silence. He seemed to relax around you. In an effort to get him out of the compound, you’d been suggesting outings every weekend. Sometimes it was going to a museum in the city, other times it was a walk in Central Park or a trip to see the Mets play. Bucky especially enjoyed the ball games as it reminded him of when he and Steve used to go to see the Dodgers. Explaining to him that the Dodgers now played in Los Angeles had gotten him so fired up that when Steve came rushing into the living room to see what was the matter, Bucky had rounded on him saying, “Did you know the Dodgers don't play in Brooklyn anymore?”

“Yeah, I-” Steve had tried to explain.

“And you didn't tell me?!”

You had diffused the tension by suggesting you all go out for lunch, but later that afternoon you still heard Bucky muttering about how L.A. _stole_ Brooklyn's team.

This weekend, it was Bucky who had suggested something to do. It was a pleasantly crisp fall afternoon and you were lounging on the couch with a good book when Bucky plopped down beside you and slung his arm around your shoulder and told you to get dressed because he was planning the outing this week. You were a little surprised, but happy that he felt comfortable enough to suggest things. You agreed before you even knew what he had planned.

So it came as a great surprise to you when you walked with him down to the garage and he handed you a helmet.

“What are we-”

Then you noticed his motorcycle. Agreeing blindly to his plan was starting to seem like a really stupid idea. You’d never ridden with Bucky before and even though you trusted him, it was still a little nerve wracking. You’d seen the way he liked to drive and if you were honest, you felt much safer in your car. Nevertheless, you accepted the helmet.

“Doll, you’re gonna get cold in that,” he said, looking at your outfit.

It wasn’t that cold out so you’d opted for jeans, boots, and a zip hoodie. You had no idea what to dress for when he told you to get ready so you’d kept it casual and comfortable. He handed you his leather jacket and you quickly turned away to put it on so he wouldn’t see you trying to repress a smile. Everyone else seemed to notice your crush on Bucky but he hadn’t seemed to yet. You were trying to keep it that way so you didn’t get hurt when he inevitably said he just liked being friends. Being snuggled up in his jacket was a nice consolation prize though.

You put the helmet on and turned around to face him again. “How do I look?”

Bucky grinned. “Like you’re ready to ride. C’mon,” he said as he waved you over and swung his leg over the bike. You climbed on behind him and for a brief moment wondered how you should hold on but then Bucky revved the bike and shouted, “Hang on!” over the sound of the engine, giving you just a split second to throw your arms around his waist and hold tight as he sped out of the garage and down the long, winding road that led to the compound.

“Oh shit,” you breathed, wrapping your arms tighter around Bucky as he leaned into the curves and effortlessly steered the bike onto the tree-lined roads of upstate New York. It felt like flying, especially when you closed your eyes and placed all your trust in him. The asphalt shimmered below you in the late afternoon light and you wondered why you’d ever had doubts about this. Trees whipped by, shades of red and orange blurred into a watercolor effect by the speed. The sun was just starting to dip into the trees and you knew it would soon be sunset. You wondered where Bucky was taking you. He hadn’t actually told you where you would be going, just that it was somewhere special.

After a few minutes on the road, you felt comfortable and safe enough to loosen your grip on Bucky. No longer plastered to his back, you took the opportunity to look around at the wooded hills. The sun filtering through the yellow leaves turned the light gold. There weren’t any cars around and you enjoyed the solitude. It was a refreshing break from the city.

After about half an hour on the road, Bucky slowed the bike and pulled off the road at an overlook. You pulled your helmet off and slipped off the bike, giving Bucky a confused look when he turned to look at you and burst out laughing.

“What?”

“Nice helmet hair, doll,” he said, grinning at you.

You frowned and finger combed it into submission as best you could. “Better?”

“I didn’t mind it before,” Bucky said with a wink. You felt your cheeks grow hot and thanked the powers that be that he had already turned his back on your and was walking away. “C’mon!” he said as he headed into the woods. You followed after him, down the hill and into the trees.

Bucky wasn’t blazing his own trail. There was a narrow track of dirt where you could tell people had walked countless times before. You couldn’t help but wonder what was so special out here in the woods. The light was growing dim as the setting sun tried its best to break through the trees. After a short hike—during which Bucky was unusually quiet—you saw the end of the trees. Once you reached the edge of the wood, you gasped at the sight before you. The sun was blazing orange and was just dipping into the river, causing the water to sparkle blindingly. The sky was alight with color and a gentle breeze was carrying red leaves through the air.

“Beautiful, huh?” Bucky said wistfully, leaning against the railing and staring out over the water.

“Bucky, it’s gorgeous! It’s like a postcard,” you said, hardly believing it was real.

“Wish you were here,” he said softly and bumped your shoulder with his own, giving you a little smile when you looked up at him.

You both watched the sun sink on the horizon in silence for a few minutes before you said, “So how’d you plan this so perfectly?”

“Aw, come on, doll, I’m not gonna go giving away my secrets. I just wanted it to be special for you.”

You were a little caught off guard by that. “Why?” you whispered.

Bucky turned to look at you and you were so caught off guard by how beautiful he looked in this light that you forgot to breathe for a moment. “Why? Because you’re always doing special things for me and I wanted to do something special for you too.” He paused and looked down at his feet for a moment before turning his attention back to you. “And because Nat told me you were kinda sweet on me.”

Your eyes snapped to his but you immediately looked away. “I’m gonna kill her,” you said under your breath.

Bucky huffed out a soft laugh. “Well, as entertaining as that would be, she only did it because she knows I like you too.”

Staring at the ground, you felt everything around you fade away. “Don’t play with me, Barnes,” you said, your voice barely more than a shaky whisper.

“Now why would I do that?” He lifted your chin with his right hand, forcing you to meet his eyes. “You’re my best girl. You have been since Steve brought me back. You were there for me when I felt like I had no one. You get me out into the world, you make an effort to know me. Why wouldn’t I love you?”

You could feel yourself trembling slightly and you tried to steady your breathing but it was damn near impossible because he _loved_ you. His hand was so warm as he moved it to cup your cheek. His metal hand found your waist and he gently pulled you closer. He leaned down so your foreheads touched and whispered, “You mind if I kiss you, doll?”

“I’d mind if you didn’t,” you said, already leaning towards him.

His lips met yours, soft and slow and perfect. Though you knew it was coming, there was still no way to prepare for how good it felt to have him so close and to be so unafraid. His arm slipped around your back, cool metal unyielding as he held you close. You wrapped your arms around his neck and slipped your fingers into his soft hair and were rewarded with a soft little sigh against your cheek. He traced your bottom lip softly with his tongue and you parted your lips to deepen the kiss, keeping the same unhurried pace. Never in your life had you been kissed like that.

When he finally pulled back to look at you, you couldn’t stop the grin that spread across your face. The sun had just sunk beyond the horizon, bathing you both in a soft, residual evening glow. You leaned into him and laid your head against his chest, still admiring the beautiful scenery around you. The sky was turning a deep cobalt, studded here and there with stars, and lights were starting to come on in the riverside towns below. It was a whole new kind of magical. The night air had turned cold and you were thankful for both Bucky’s warmth and the coziness of his jacket which you snuggled deeper into.

“You wanna go home?” he asked.

“Mm. Not really,” you said matter-of-factly. You weren’t ready to leave this perfect place behind.

Bucky chuckled and kissed the top of your head. “I don’t want to either.”

“I suppose we’ll have to at some point. Steve and Nat will start to worry,” you said.

“And I don’t want you to freeze out here.”

“I won’t. You’re very warm.” You emphasized this point by reaching for his flesh hand and holding it to your cheek which was cold from the breezy night air.

“I see you’re already freezing. Let’s head back,” he said. Upon seeing your disappointment he added, “You can choose the movie for movie night.”

You weighed the pros and cons and decided that cuddling up with Bucky on the luxurious screening room couch under a warm blanket sounded better than shivering out here in the cold. Finally, you nodded and took his hand as you both made your way back through the woods to the overlook.

After a few moments of comfortable silence you had a thought. “Did you pick the motorcycle instead of the car because I’d have to hold onto you.” You were smirking at him because you knew you were right.

“I figured even if I couldn’t work up the nerve to tell you how I felt, I’d still get to be close to you.” Even though you couldn’t see them in the dark, you knew his cheeks were pink.

“You’re such a sap, Barnes,” you said, leaning into his side.

“It worked, didn’t it?”

“Yeah it did,” you agreed.

When you reached the bike, you put the helmet back on and climbed on behind him. As you sped back towards the compound, you held tightly to him, this time not because you were afraid of falling off, but because there was no one you’d rather be closer to.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm getting back into writing after going through tons of irl nonsense over the last year and a half. I was super excited to write this and I hope you all like it! Let me know what you think :)
> 
> If you wanna follow me on twitter @hehadametalarm, I'm over there screaming about Marvel all the time.


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